The new year is officially upon us, and the best holiday of all is slowly approaching. Opening day is now a few months away, and the fans in Reds Country are excited for a potential postseason birth once again.
The offseason is far from over, but rosters are starting to take shape. With a rather uneventful offseason so far for Cincinnati, their position player group remains largely similar from 2025. However, expectations have changed from a year ago, so here’s one thing Reds fans should/will expect from each position player in 2026.
Tyler Stephenson – C
Like many other players on the team, Tyler Stephenson suffered somewhat of a down year in 2025. Through injuries and inconsistent performance, he ended up with an 98 OPS+ in 88 games. It is worth noting that despite a 98 OPS+ being ever so slightly below league average, it is a very respectable mark for an everyday catcher. The reason it was a disappointing year was that Stephenson has shown the ability to produce at a 110 or higher OPS+ as he just had a 112 OPS+ in 2025.
For a team who’s offense already struggles to produce runs, Stephenson’s bat returning to above league average will make the Reds exponentially better, and it is easily attainable too seeing as he has done it before.
Sal Stewart – 1B
The 22 year-old Sal Stewart made his presence known in the tail end of the 2025 season, getting the call up and posting an .839 OPS in 18 games. He proved to be every bit of the top prospect he has been touted as, providing much needed power to a powerless lineup.
He will likely be the first baseman and designated hitter in 2026, but a sophomore slump could be in play as well. Due to his young age and tiny sample size in the big leagues, there will likely be ups and downs, but his mature hitting profile at the plate makes fans a lot less worried about a potential fall off.
Staying healthy and gaining valuable experience will be the biggest thing for Stewart this upcoming season.
Matt McLain – 2B
After a stellar 2023 rookie campaign and missing the 2024 seasons with a major shoulder injury, Matt McLain returned in 2025, but produced 0.0 bWAR in 147 games. His .643 OPS was one of the worst for an everyday player in 2025, but his solid defense at second base was still valuable.
Reds fans should expect a bounce back from McLain, as if he can go back closer to his 2023 form, him and Elly De La Cruz will be a lethal duo up the middle.
Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B
There’s not much to say about Ke’Bryan Hayes. He is on the books until 2029 thanks to an extension he signed with the Pirates. His 21 OAA ranked him at the top of the league at the 99th percentile, and earned him another Gold Glove.
Hayes’ offense is likely to stay well below average for the rest of his career, as his lack of progress in his previous five seasons has made any offensive jump highly unlikely. However, if he can at least become close to league average (80 OPS+ rather than in the 60s), his contract will be well worth it.
He did perform better with a .656 OPS and 78 OPS+ after getting traded to Cincinnati, so there is hope.
Elly De La Cruz – SS
The heartbeat and superstar of the team, De La Cruz is the engine that keeps the Big Red Machine running. His offense and defense both suffered a bit after the halfway point of the season, but it could easily to attributed to the fatigue of playing in all 162 at a premium position.
His 22 home runs still led the team, and a 109 OPS+ isn’t anything to scoff at, even if it was lower than what fans had in mind going into the season.
The main thing fans should expect from De La Cruz is continued growth. Continue working on the strikeouts, continue to sharpen the defense, and continue to be the impact player that he is.
JJ Bleday – LF
While Gavin Lux and JJ Bleday will undoubtedly battle for the left field spot, it would be smart to give the job to Bleday, seeing as he is an actual outfielder. To put it simply, Lux is an awful fit on the Reds, and was awful in left field last year. His natural infield positions are occupied, pushing him to the outfield, and he was a negative WAR player in 2025.
Now, to be fair, Bleday was also a negative WAR player in 2025, but his upside is what puts him ahead of Lux. Defensively, Bleday has never been above league average, but maybe moving to left field can help that.
If he can repeat or get even closer to his 2.1 bWAR, 120 OPS+ season back in 2024, Reds fans would be happy with the addition to the team.
TJ Friedl – CF
TJ Friedl is a very solid centerfielder who does everything solidly. He runs the bases well, swiping 12 bags in 2025. He hits pretty well, posting a .742 OPS last year, finding the middle ground between his .819 OPS 2023 and .690 OPS 2024.
Most importantly, his defense is pretty good out in centerfield as he had 1 OAA in 2025 (71st percentile)
Basically, repeat the 2025 season in 2026, and Reds fans will be satisfied
Noelvi Marte – RF
After struggling to find a spot in the infield, manager Terry Francona moved the young Noelvi Marte into right field, where he surprisingly thrived defensively. His strong arm was perfect for the position and his athleticism played a big part as a rangy outfielder. After a rough 2024 campaign, his .748 OPS with a nice combination of 14 home runs and 10 stolen bases was a very good turnaround in 2025.
Reds fans are banking on the former top prospect to find his footing in the big leagues and be their everyday right fielder with some combination of speed and power.
Top Image Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images